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Re: The Source of Black Poverty

'Blacks' should be integrating with other 'races' FAR more then they do.

Stop grouping only with other 'blacks', move out of 'black ghetto's' and into better areas...even if it means sharing apartments to get by at first.

Befriend people of other 'races', work with them, socialize with them, marry them (if you love them), have children with them (if you wish)..blur the 'race' distinction so America becomes a true melting pot.

But huddling together along 'racial' lines does little more, IMO, then propagating negative 'racial' stereotypes that does no good for any decent American.

It's 2014...the days of 'race-based' communities should be long a thing of the past.

Re: The Source of Black Poverty

Originally Posted by joko104

Historically and thru today, the two races that have done worse within the United States are the two races that never wanted to be part of the United States - African-Americans brought here as slaves and Native Americans who were slaughtered, defeated, and subjugated - both deposed of their land or taken from it.

The extreme bigotries, injustices, denial of equality, and both institutional and social abuse of both African-Americans and Native Americans is NOT ancient history of past generations now dead. That level of earned hatred does not simply vanish by declaring "we're all equal now" - when the oppressors start with 99% and the oppressed start with 1%.

There are Native Americans and African-Americans that TRULY HATE white people. While white people can say "Hey, it's all equal now" - that doesn't really work when the person claiming "all is equal" is who is who stole everything you had.

The commander of the Japanese POW camp that did such acts of torture, brutality and murder declared when the war was over "we call can be friends now." No, the prisoners threw him down a well to leave him there to slowly die of starvation in a black wet hole. Injustice isn't just erased with a declaration of "let's all be pals now."

Native American culture is far more unknown and diverse than African-American culture, and NA culture was never merged with white American culture. Nor were there genocides, sterilization campaigns, and mass relocations of African-Americans. There are Native Americans that, given the chance, would not hesitate to kill white people. Doesn't matter their age or the reason - other than they are white.

African-Americans do have reasons to be bitter and feel cheated - because they were and they are. Where I differ, though, is that hate serves no purpose. I have been in a few short arguments over "integrating into the dominate culture" with other NAs - short because I don't give a damn. DEFEATED people who are permanent defeated - as are peoples brought here as slaves and Native Americans - only have one non-self destructive alternative and that is to integrate into reality and the culture they really are in - which is the culture created by white America.

The good news is that MOST of white America is more than willing to allow such equal integration for those willing to do their half of it. Some will even give extra breaks to make it easy to do so. Hell, I'm a damn near superstar among white people. Everyone can PROVE they aren't a bigot merely by being able to say I'm one of their friends. In some regards, I can actually market it.

Lol, I've heard of people having Stockholm syndrome but this is something else completely.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. - MLK

Re: The Source of Black Poverty

Originally Posted by opendebate

I think that there is an enormous amout of hypocrisy and lack of insight that surrounds this issue. It comes down to a very simple question. Either you believe that Black people are inherently lazy and immoral or you believe that a cultures history in large part shapes how that culture evolves.

We don't hesitate to take credit for the contributions our forefathers made to how white culture has evolved yet we deny the influence on black history of black culture today. How does that make sense?

Neither do we hesitate to acknowledge how our own personal history has influenced the formation of our values etc. then some blame the lack of decent parenting for the behaviors they see within the culture while at the same time condemning the child produced from that "poor parenting".

Does history only matter if we like the results? Shouldn't the premise that history impacts a cultures evolution remain consistent?

I think African Americans have the worst family structure in the land, that's why they're poor (speaking in terms of the average.)

Baby's daddy almost always leaves, leaving the mom to raise kids on her own. Mom works two jobs, kids are left alone or raised by grandparents.

Result is kids with no discipline. We've all seen how black children act. I know I have. No discipline. Running around all crazy, yelling, hyperactive, can't focus on anything. That comes from not having a mom and a dad to instill discipline in you.

That lack of discipline translates to later in life. You ever go to the movies and have black people behind you, talking the whole time? I know I have. Nearly got in a fight over it last weekend matter of fact because I told them to shut the **** up.

If you show that lack of discipline, how employable can you possibly be? How can you hold down a job? Hence they are poor.

On the biology side, there are studies that show that blacks are behind the curve when it comes to IQ scores, and supposedly those have nothing to do with upbringing or learning - it's genetic. Jews are the smartest, followed by Asians, followed by Whites, followed by everyone else, and blacks are at the bottom. I have no idea how to interpret that data, nor do I care. Clearly, there are outliers. Barack Obama, for example, is clearly smarter than the average person, very likely with a genius IQ. So for that reason, we can't discriminate on the basis of racial averages - it wouldn't be fair to the exceptions.

Overall, it's a complicated issue. Resolving it needs to start within the black community. The leaders need to find a way to promote the value of the nuclear family. That's where it starts.

Re: The Source of Black Poverty

Originally Posted by Peter Grimm

We've all seen how black children act. I know I have. No discipline. Running around all crazy, yelling, hyperactive, can't focus on anything.

On the biology side, there are studies that show that blacks are behind the curve when it comes to IQ scores, and supposedly those have nothing to do with upbringing or learning - it's genetic. Jews are the smartest, followed by Asians, followed by Whites, followed by everyone else, and blacks are at the bottom.

That is the purest racist message to date since I've been on the forum.

Re: The Source of Black Poverty

Originally Posted by grip

What about redneck or hillbilly trailer folk? We can all notice certain factual traits but are looking for possible answers to what causes certain cultural conditions?

Are you considering the role of government as part of American culture?
It seems to me that there are some clear lines between the growth of the entitlement society and the growth of various individual and family issues. More money for unwed mothers and infants has coincided with the increase in female led households and early pregnancies. Increase in various social spending for housing and SNAP has coincided with an increase in high school dropouts. The recent CBO report that the PPACA will result in an equivalent of a 2.5 million job loss. Some celebrated this but when people reduce their work hours because they don't need the money they will tend to have less money, less savings, and less opportunities to improve their lives. They are simply substituting government handouts for their own income and taking the extra leisure time.

As FDR stated in his 1935 State of the Union address:

The lessons of history, confirmed by the evidence immediately before me, show conclusively that continued dependence upon relief induces a spiritual disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber. To dole our relief in this way is to administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit. It is inimical to the dictates of a sound policy. It is in violation of the traditions of America. Work must be found for able-bodied but destitute workers.

Now we have turned that upside down and celebrate the reduction in work.

Edit: And since Blacks were on the bottom economically, they have had the brunt of the negative impact of entitlement spending.